Shivraj Slams Air India: Cheating Passengers

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticizes Air India for providing a broken seat on his flight.
The Union Minister describes the experience as “cheating the passengers.”
Chouhan had booked seat 8C on Air India flight AI436, which turned out to be damaged.
Air India has apologized for the incident and promised to investigate the matter.
This incident highlights ongoing concerns about Air India’s service and maintenance.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has strongly criticized Air India for allotting him a broken seat during his recent flight from Bhopal to New Delhi. Describing the situation as a form of “cheating the passengers,” Chouhan’s complaint has sparked a wave of discussion regarding the airline’s service standards. Air India swiftly responded to the criticism, apologizing for the incident and stating that a thorough investigation is underway.

In a detailed post on X, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh recounted his ordeal while traveling on Air India flight AI436 to Delhi, where he was scheduled to inaugurate the Kisan Mela in Pusa. Chouhan had pre-booked seat number 8C but was shocked to find it “broken and sunken.” Upon questioning the airline staff, he was informed that the management was already aware of the issue.

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“When I asked the flight attendants, they told me that the management had been informed earlier about the condition of the seat and its ticket should not be sold,” Chouhan stated. He further noted that the staff indicated several other seats on the aircraft were also defective.

Chouhan, affectionately known as ‘Mamaji’ in Madhya Pradesh, mentioned that fellow passengers offered to exchange seats with him. However, he declined, choosing to complete the 1.30-hour journey on the same broken seat to avoid inconveniencing others.

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“My co-passengers requested me to change my seat, but I decided not to inconvenience them. I decided that I would complete my journey by sitting in the same seat. My impression was that Air India’s service would have improved after the Tata Group took over the management, but it was my misconception,” the minister elaborated. The Tata Group acquired Air India from the government in January 2022 for Rs 18,000 crore.

Chouhan emphasized that charging passengers the full ticket price while providing them with faulty seats is tantamount to “cheating.” He questioned, “If passengers are paying the full fare, why should they be assigned defective and uncomfortable seats? Is this not cheating?”

Air India Responds

Air India issued a public apology to the Union Minister for the unsatisfactory experience. “We apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please be rest assured that we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent any such occurrences in the future,” the airline stated in a tweet.

While the Tata Group has successfully expanded Air India’s network, issues such as flight delays, particularly on long-haul routes, and worn-out seats on some aircraft persist.

A similar incident occurred last month when a passenger claimed that he and his minor son were downgraded from business class to economy on an Air India flight, alleging that their seats were reassigned to a crew member.

In another instance last year, a passenger reported that the business class seat assigned to him on an Air India flight from New Delhi to Newark was both unclean and worn out. These incidents highlight the challenges Air India faces in consistently delivering a high-quality passenger experience.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

Shivraj Singh Chouhan publicly criticized Air India for providing him with a broken seat.
The Minister labeled the situation as “cheating the passengers.”
Air India has apologized and promised to investigate the incident.
This incident raises questions about the quality of service on Air India flights.
Passengers expect better service and maintenance from the airline.